When the mineral asbestos was used in the 19th century, it was lauded as one of the most versatile and cost-effective construction materials on the market. It was cheap, fire-resistant, acid-resistant, insulating, and more. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), asbestos is also linked to causing various forms of life-threatening illnesses. Including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. It wasn’t until the late 1960s and early 1970s that federal agencies began to regulate its production and usage. By that time, however, asbestos was already so deeply integrated into city and neighborhood infrastructure that it was impossible to remove it completely. As a result, the infrastructure of many cities across the country still contains that cancer-causing material. Thousands of people are unknowingly exposed to it daily. Asbestos in New York: The Threat Still Exists When the mineral asbestos was used in the 19th century, it was lauded as one of the most versatile and cost-effective construction materials on the market. It was cheap, fire-resistant, acid-resistant, insulating, and more. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), asbestos is also linked to causing various forms of life-threatening illnesses. Including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. It wasn’t until the late 1960s and early 1970s that federal agencies began to regulate its production and usage. By that time, however, asbestos was already so deeply integrated into city and neighborhood infrastructure that it was impossible to remove it completely. As a result, the infrastructure of many cities across the country still contains that cancer-causing material. Thousands of people are unknowingly exposed to it daily.
When the mineral asbestos was used in the 19th century, it was lauded as one of the most versatile and cost-effective construction materials on the market. It was cheap, fire-resistant, acid-resistant, insulating, and more. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), asbestos is also linked to causing various forms of life-threatening illnesses. Including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. It wasn’t until the late 1960s and early 1970s that federal agencies began to regulate its production and usage. By that time, however, asbestos was already so deeply integrated into city and neighborhood infrastructure that it was impossible to remove it completely. As a result, the infrastructure of many cities across the country still contains that cancer-causing material. Thousands of people are unknowingly exposed to it daily.